The French Fries World Championships® (Championnat du Monde de la Frite) will be held for the first time on Saturday 7 October in Arras’ Grand Place. Members of the public will be able to get involved with the various stages of this innovative competition and, of course, savour delicacies at the excellent French fry stands installed for the occasion. Expect contests between catering professionals and amateur experts, entertainment, and delicious local food and beer. French fries are an integral part of the gastronomic traditions of the Hauts-de-France region, with Arras itself the birthplace of Charles de l’Écluse (1526-1609), a botanist to whom we owe one of the first studies on potatoes.
Pre-selected candidates, among the best in the Hauts-de-France and neighbouring areas or from further afield, will face off in a number of different categories: family fries, authentic fries, creative fries… to show off different ways of enhancing fresh cut fries. And what would a delectable cornet of French fries be without a delicious sauce to serve with it? A category reserved for catering professionals will give chefs a chance to express their creativity and concoct the best sauce. A panel of six will judge the candidates’ performances – the chairman of the jury will be Jean-Paul Dambrine, founder of Sensas chip shops. The first Championships will be sponsored by journalist, author and food critic François-Régis Gaudry.
Members of the public will be able to get involved with the various stages of this innovative competition and, of course, savour delicacies at the excellent French fry stands installed for the occasion. A semi-final will be held in the morning and a final in the afternoon. Two podiums, on which the events will take place, will be on site for spectators to enjoy. A ‘French Fry Village’ will also be open, where visitors can grab a bite to eat, meet local producers and take part in activities linked to the theme of the event. As usual in Arras, the best local beers will also be on offer. Entertainment and concerts will further enhance this jam-packed day at the heart of the Artois capital.
The Competition Categories
– Authentic Fries: Candidates will need to present chips as they are traditionally prepared and eaten in the north of France. Entrants from other regions and countries will also be able to showcase their recipes in this category, provided they reflect traditional, local craftsmanship.
– Family Fries: Candidates will be asked to present their version of ‘home-style’ fries, made in household conditions.
– Creative Fries: Candidates will need to devise an original recipe for fries in terms of shape, cooking method or other aspects. The fries must be potato-based and deep-fried.
– French Fry Sauce: Candidates must create the perfect sauce to accompany the chips. Hot or cold, this sauce must be made on the spot using unprocessed ingredients.
Each contestant will need to prepare around 1.5kg of fries or 1.5 litres of sauce.
The winners of each category will receive a trophy specially designed for this original and tasty gastronomic event, heralded to be one of the highlights of the European Region of Gastronomy 2023 calendar. The Hauts-de-France is the first French region to receive this prestigious accolade, following in the footsteps of Menorca (Balearics) in 2022, Trondheim (Norway) and Lombardy (Italy).
Did you know? The fries we know today would probably have never existed if it wasn’t for the tenacity of one of the Renaissance’s most remarkable botanists, Charles de L’Écluse (aka Clusius), born in Arras in 1526. L’Écluse devoted his energies to studying this little-known tuber from Peru in his own experimental garden, thus promoting it among great European Lords, well before the famous Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. The Pays d’Artois seems to be ‘at the root’ of the advent of fries as we know them today. There are now some 1,400 French fry stalls throughout France – 55% of which can be found in the Hauts-de-France region.
Download the full press release about the event
Visit the Arras-Pays d’Artois website
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Browse the 2023 Arras press kit
Read our post on Remembrance Tourism and Rugby in Arras
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